Though Hispanic voters are not a monolith, Salguero points out their shared concerns on the political and social issues being debated by a narrowing field of GOP candidates.

Growing numbers of Hispanic evangelicals and Pentecostals—like Catholics—see immigration reform as part of their broader, family-focused priorities.

He writes:

On the top of their mutual agendas is humane, common sense immigration reform. This is a moral and family values issue. We take “welcome the stranger and love your neighbor” seriously. We are looking for legislation that provides an earned path to citizenship and keeps families together….

On the social issues Latino evangelicals overwhelmingly hold to a pro-life and pro-marriage platform. This is no secret. Latino evangelicals have historically been social conservatives on the issues of marriage and what Catholics call a “seamless garment” of life. This means that many Latino evangelicals advocate for a broad agenda that protects children–both before birth and after. We are thoroughly concerned about the health of the most vulnerable.

These stances mirror poll numbers on Hispanic American voters. The Public Religion Research Institute found 91 percent describe immigrants as having “strong family values,” and 78 percent support DREAM Act-like legislation, which allows children of illegal immigrants to gain legal status by joining the military or attending college.

Plus, this is a voting bloc that’s up for grabs, so to speak. Most Hispanic evangelicals went for George W. Bush in 2004. They voted for Obama in 2008. But it’s unclear if they’ll vote for them again, since only half of Hispanic voters approve of the way that Obama is handling his job as president, according to PRRI.

“Although the Latino vote isn’t likely to dramatically alter the outcome of the primary race, they promise to play a crucial role in the general election, where the fate of states like Florida, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada could hinge on Latino voters,” the research institute wrote. “The question is whether, in winning the primary by appealing to conservative views on immigration, the GOP may have shot itself in the foot when it comes to this influential population.”